Ex-LSU star JaMarcus Rusell: 'I blame myself'

10:25 AM,
Apr. 23, 2013

Former LSU star JaMarcus Russell was a first-round bust.

Written by

Jim Corbett
Gannett

SAN DIEGO - In three NFL seasons with the Oakland Raiders, quarterback JaMarcus Russell went 7-18 as a starter, with 18 touchdowns and 23 interceptions.

His immaturity, and what Pro Bowl tutor Jeff Garcia calls "a negative Raiders ecosystem," led to Russell walking away from the game -- with $39 million from being the overall No. 1 pick of the 2007 NFL draft.

But Akili Smith knows what drove Russell, now 27, back from the depths of unmet expectations, self-inflicted wounds and forever being linked to epic failure on the internet. ...